More than nine-tenths of Kelantan land remains Malay reserve, top in peninsula, says MB

Kota Bharu, Aug 12 — Kelantan's Malay reserve land, which covers 91.5 percent of the state, amounts to 526,083 hectares, involving 816,020 ownerships as of June, according to Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud. Non-Malay reserve land makes up the remaining 8.4 percent, or 48,344 hectares, with 43,255 titles. As of June 2026, the overall land ownership in Kelantan totals 574,427 hectares, with 859,275 titles registered.

Nassuruddin stated this while answering a query from PAS-Pasir Tumboh's Datuk Abdul Rahman Yunus during a State Legislative Assembly session at the Kota Darulnaim Complex in Kota Bharu. The figure represents an adjustment for all 11 districts, with over nine-tenths of the state's land ownership falling under the Malay reserve category.

Gua Musang leads in Malay reserve land area, holding 122,735 hectares, followed by Pasir Mas (56,656 ha), Tanah Merah (56,246 ha), and Kuala Krai (53,473 ha). Percentage-wise, Tanah Merah has the highest rate at 99.9 percent, followed by Tumpat, Pasir Puteh, Bachok, Pasir Mas, Kota Bharu, and Jeli. There has been no decrease in Malay reserve land in Kelantan, and Section 13A of the Kelantan Malay Reservations Enactment permits non-Malays to own land within the Malay reserve.

This provision also empowers state authorities to control transactions within Malay reserve areas, including the potential prohibition of such transactions if they threaten the interests of Malay reserves.